1. Related Applications
This application claims priority as a continuation-in-part application to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/836,521, “Method and System for Serving Multiple Subscriber Stations Under a Common Subscriber ID,” filed on Apr. 17, 2001, which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.
2. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wireless communications, and more particularly to managing mobile services for wireless devices such as cellular telephones.
3. Description of Related Art
Traditionally, each mobile station in a telecommunications network is identified with a unique Electronic Serial Number (ESN) and a unique Mobile Identification Number (MIN). The ESN, which is typically hard-coded into the mobile station, identifies the mobile station as a unique physical device. The ESN usually includes a manufacturer code and a manufacturer-assigned serial number. The MIN, on the other hand, is typically assigned to the mobile station by a service provider when the mobile station is being provisioned for service. It also typically functions as a subscriber ID for billing and for receiving calls. In many cases, the MIN is a telephone directory number.
The MIN and the ESN may be involved in the initiation of telephone calls involving the mobile station they identify. When a call is placed to a mobile station, a service provider may alert the mobile station by broadcasting a paging message that is keyed to the MIN of the mobile station. The mobile station may then detect its MIN in the paging message and respond to the incoming call. When a call is placed from the mobile station, the mobile station typically transmits both its ESN and its MIN to the service provider. The service provider may then authenticate the ESN/MIN pair and responsively allow the call to proceed.
Mobile stations and service on mobile communications networks have become sufficiently cost-effective and popular that individual users are using multiple mobile stations. Each mobile station has a unique MIN, which means that the individual user must use multiple MINs. For example, a user may have a cellular telephone with one MIN and a PDA wireless modem adapter with another MIN. Having multiple MINs, however, is inconvenient to the user. Multiple MINs traditionally result in multiple bills. Users would also need to consider which mobile station they want to receive calls on when they let others know the telephone directory number (typically the MIN) to one of their mobile stations.
It would be desirable to allow a user to associate a common MIN with multiple mobile stations and to select which of the mobile stations will be active at any given time.